Designed with extreme range and
endurance in mind, the P2V can trace its origins to work carried out
by Lockheed subsidiary Vega (and designer Mac Short in particular)
into an aircraft combining a high aspect ratio wing with two then new
R-3350 Radial engines. With Lockheed focusing its efforts on other
high-priority designs like the P-38 and Ventura, it was not until the
last months of the WWII that the prototype XP2V-1 Neptune finally
flew. Aside from the previously mentioned features, the aircraft also
had large Fowler for good short-field performance, a large weapons
bay and two defensive turrets. It made its first flight on May 17th
1945. As if to prove the point about its range, the third production
P2V-1 set a world distance record of 11,235 miles (18,077 km) in
October 1946. The first of 838 Neptunes was delivered to the US Navy
in March 1947, and the aircraft went on to serve as the standard ASW
platform for many Western countries well into the 1960s such as
France, the USA, the UK, Japan, Australia, the Netherlands, Portugal,
Brazil, Argentina and Canada. Built over seven distinct sub-types,
the Neptune evolved into a superb maritime patrol aircraft, which was
also produced in piston-engined from by Kawasaki in Japan. Aside from
its use with the navies of the world, modified OP-2E Elint and AP-2H
'gunship' versions were also employed to great effect by the USAF and
Army in Vietnam. Now fully retired from military service, near on 40
SP-2/Hs are gainfully employed as firebombers in North
America.

The Aéronautique Navale
Française received thirty-one P2V-6 Neptunes
(twin-engined/ two Wright turbo-cyclone compound R-3350 of 3,500 hp)
in the context of the MDAP (Mutual Defence Aid Pact) which operated
between 1953 and 1969 within the 21F (1953-1966), 22F, 23F et 8S
squadrons.

The first
P2V-6 Neptune arriving at Orly on June 19th 1953.
(ECPA)

The first example (BuAer
134638) landed at Orly on January 19th 1953, then was
delivered to the 11F squadron (future 25F and 21F).
Twenty-six were delivered in 1953 ; then they took delivery
of five additionnal examples in early 1955.

They were used over Algeria
with an APS-33 radar as a minelayer/ recce/ ASW aircraft.
Their nose and tail 20 mm turrets were removed and replaced
by a glazed nose in 1957 and a MAD from 1955.

The dorsal one was kept but finally removed in 1962. 100,000 had
been accumulated since 1953.

Variant

Number in the French
Navy

BuAer

Status

P2V-6

6037

134640

returned to the
USA

P2V-6

6054

134657

returned to the
USA

The French Naval Aviation also
operated thirty-four P2V-7s (then designated P-2H/ SP-2Hs in 1962)
between June 1958 and August 1984 motorized with two Wright
R-3350-32W Compound engines of 3,700 hp and two J34-WE-36 turbo jets
added for extra thrust (3,196 lbs). They flew within the 23F, 24F,
25F (until 1983), 9S and 12S (until 1984 in the Pacific Ocean)
squadrons. The first example (BuAer 144683) was convoyed by LV Bardon
in April 1958. The P2V-7 Neptune BuAer 147569 'Yankee Echo' a.k.a.
"Goldorak" operated by the 25F squadron, had been fitted with
electronic warfare antennas and various equipement (ECM jammers,
Exocet radar unit) in order to train French Navy warships and
fighters. The French P2V-7 Neptune's fleet was composed by four
subvariants which corresponded to their delivery batch and their
BuAer : there were 16 Neptunes batch 144 000 and 146 000, 10 Neptunes
batch 147 000 and finally 8 examples batch 148 000.

Variant

Number in the French
Navy

BuAer

Status

P2V-7

7136

144685

museum Germany

P2V-7

7137

144686

scrapped

P2V-7

7138

144687

burned Tahiti

P2V-7

7139

144688

museum France

P2V-7

7140

144689

burned LaTontouta

P2V-7

7143

144692

display
Netherlands

P2V-7

7145

146432

burned Tahiti

P2V-7

7152

146433

burned Tahiti

P2V-7

7154

146435

returned to US

P2V-7

7155

146436

returned to US

P2V-7

7156

146437

returned to US

P2V-7

7157

146438

museum
Netherlands

P2V-7

7174

147562

storage Lorient

P2V-7

7177

147563

museum France

P2V-7

7183

147566

sold to
Australian

P2V-7

7244

148331

burned Tahiti

P2V-7

7253

148333

stored Hoa

P2V-7

7262

148334

museum France

P2V-7

7264

148335

museum France

P2V-7

7266

148336

out of service Wallis
Island

Specifications
:

/

(US)

(FR)

LENGTH

91 ft 8
in

27. 94
m

WINGSPAN

103 ft 10
in

31. 65
m

HEIGHT

29 ft 4
in

8. 94
m

WEIGHTS

49 935 lb (empty)/
79 895 lb (full)

22 650 kg (empty)/
36 240 kg (full)

MAX
SPEED

356
mph

573 km/
h

RANGE

2 500
nm

4 000
km

THRUST

7 000 (P2V-6)/ 7 400
+ 7 800 (P2V-7) hp

7 000 (P2V-6)/ 7 400
+ 7 800 (P2V-7) kW

1/ Electronic
Equipment

P2V-6

Communications
equipment

-1 on board
telephone.

-1 HF transmitter
linked to MF and HF receivers.

-1 ten-frequency
VHF.

-1 UHF linked to a
UHF radiogoniometer.

-1 HF connection
with ground troops (not permanently
installed).

Navigation

-1 radio
compass.

-1 radiosonde
.

-1 beacon
receiver.

-1 GPI
calculator.

-1 PPI Tactical
Display.

-1 APS-33B radar
linked to the GPI and the PPI, a bombardment
calculator linked to a IFF transponder and a
nondirectional interrogator.

ESM
counter-measures

-1 receiver linked
to the radiogoniometer.

ASW
Equipment

-1 buoy receiver,
for British T-45 and US SSQ-2B buoys.

-1
magnetometer.

-1 MAD.

Misc.

-Autopilot.

-Sextant.

-Oxygen
equipment.

-Searchlight (on
the starboard wing).

P2V-7

Communications
Equipment

-1 on board
telephone.

-1 HF
transmitter/receiver, later replaced with 2 HF
transmitters/receivers linked to a teleprinter and
encoding equipment.